Alan has an intimate knowledge of small business as well, having founded and operated businesses in the advertising, sales training and consulting services industries. His specific expertise in the areas of business planning, brand management, market research, new product development, sales process, customer satisfaction and eCommerce has enabled employers and clients to substantially increase revenues and profits.

He is a recognized leader in bringing innovation to industry and has been active as a member of two standing committees within the operating unit of the National Academy of Sciences. He has written extensively on the subjects of sales process, supply chain management, transportation innovation, environmental impact and international business and has been published in respected scientific journals. His work is referenced in Saul Sorkin's treatise Goods in Transit, a definitive resource for international and domestic transportation law.

As both consultant and manager Alan has led, and participated in, many cross-functional teams. His skills as a trainer and facilitator have helped clients and employers identify, initiate and successfully manage the introduction of change to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of business processes.

He has studied strategic marketing at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business and holds both an M.B.A. and B.S. in Business Management.

While at American President Lines Bert held general management positions in both the International and Domestic divisions, operating a fleet of vessels which contributed $15 million per year and starting up a trucking product that earned a $2.0 million profit after 18 months of operation. He directed an intermodal marketing sales force of over 200 and was responsible for truck transportation purchasing in North America. Fully trained in "Quality" practices and techniques, he was a team leader for many cross-functional projects.

As a Partner at Strategic Solutions Partners, LLC, he has contracted with LTL trucking, railroad and ocean transportation companies. His clients also include purchasers of transportation who require assistance in supply chain management. He has helped his clients reduce their purchased transportation costs and vendors, reorganize their sales force and streamline their pricing process.

Bert has studied at Augustana College and the University of California, and holds a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.B.A. with an emphasis in operations research.

Bob Cross is an experienced transportation/logistics professional with over thirty years of general management background. His major strengths are in leadership and team building, strategic planning, marketing, sales, quality management, change management and mergers/acquisitions.

Bob has eighteen years of proven success as a division president with four corporations. As a founding partner with Pacer International Inc., Bob was instrumental in driving 1200% growth in four years. At Pacer his responsibilities included president of the logistics group while acting as executive vice president of the corporation responsible for acquisitions and change management.

Bob also held senior level positions in the various domestic units of the multi-billion dollar ocean shipping giant American President Companies. He was brought on board at APC to start their overland trucking subsidiary. There he wrote the strategy, hired the people, created the systems and processes, and in two years built this strategic business unit into 600 trucks with a cost-per-mile efficiency that beat industry standards.

Prior to American President Companies Bob was employed by Schneider National Inc. in various positions including president of the western division for eight years and EVP of Corporate Sales and Marketing for two years.

Bob has experience in the high-tech industry having served as president of Meteor Communications, a joint venture company bringing meteor burst technology to the communications industry.

Alan Davis is a talented supply chain executive with proven record of P&L responsibility including organizational start-up, business unit restructuring new product conceptualization, customer relationship management, and staff development. A results oriented management generalist with over twenty years of leadership experience he possesses excellent people skills with demonstrated ability to lead, manage, and motivate a team. An articulate communicator with good judgment and critical thinking skills Alan has demonstrated the ability to handle complex, multi-department, multi-cultural projects, manage start-up operations, and negotiate tough issue

Alan has held senior logistics management positions with major high technology firms. As Director, Worldwide Transportation & Logistics for Exodus, Alan created a professional transportation and logistics department focusing on the entire supply chain. He managed the successful transfer of a centrally managed shipping and receiving function to local management. He designed and managed a revenue recovery strategy generating over $3.1 million in five months by reclaiming foreign governments Value Added Taxes (VAT), auditing freight bills, and auditing for duplicate Vendor payments. While at Amtech, a multi-million dollar radio frequency identification (RFID) technology company he revitalized a moribund rail and intermodal transportation market in Asia, Australia, and Americas.

As a consultant Alan managed engagements including: Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training, for industry, and Department of Transportation (DOT) training for transportation companies and transportation and logistics management for Silicon Valley high-tech clients and San Francisco/Oakland based transportation companies.

Alan’s strengths include process analysis with an emphasis on cost reduction and efficiency improvement. As a third-party outsource logistics provider, he created and implemented strategic supply chain plans which significantly reduced transportation costs while improving service performance and saving the cost of new warehouse construction.

Alan holds an MBA from Golden Gate University, San Francisco and a BA in Marketing from the University of North Texas.

Roger Lowther has thirty-five years of experience in all aspects of global logistics management including supply chain management, eCommerce, strategic planning, logistics operations, systems integration, business process analysis, financial measurement, customer service and sales & marketing.

Roger began his career with Consolidated Freightways, where he rose to Director of Operations of their air freight division. He has held senior management positions with Novo Air Freight, WTC Air Freight, Document Express, Distribution Concepts International, MSAS Cargo International, Ernst & Young, Professional Logistics Management and USCO Logistics. Most recently, as Vice President and General Manager of USCO’s Transportation Services division, Roger was a key senior executive team member in helping USCO Logistics deliver the “Integrated Logistics Solution” to a wide range of clients.

Roger has designed and implemented supply chain solutions that have substantially reduced costs and improved service for clients across a broad spectrum of industries. He has significant Third Party logistics and transportation outsourcing experience with the primary focus on:

• Client's requirements analysis - “The Opportunity Assessment”
• Marketplace Request for Proposal
• Development of “Best Practice” solutions
• Implementation planning, support and execution
• Establishment and measurement of “key success metrics”

Roger’s experience in international transportation management is especially deep in Europe and Asia where he has developed global vendor consolidation programs to optimize transportation of inbound raw materials and products using multiple modes and carriers.

His extensive background in logistics process engineering includes the development and installation of systems for automated event management and Internet applications to reduce cost and improve the quality and timeliness of information.

John Dahl has held front line, as well as management and executive positions with several of the largest and well known companies in the secured lending financial services industry for over 25 years. John’s experience includes sales, marketing and strategic planning, national sales management, operational, and profit center responsibility with lending subsidiaries of Deutsche Bank, Key Bank, Comerica Bank as well as GE Capital.

After beginning his career with an equipment manufacturing division of FMC Corporation, John recognized early the value of financing and leasing as it pertains to facilitating product sales. This spring boarded John to be one of the front-runners at FMC Finance Corporation.

At Deutsche Credit Corporation, John designed and managed the financing programs for numerous manufacturers which included financing not only the manufacturer, but also its distribution network and end user customers. John assisted Kobelco America Inc. make a successful entry into the US domestic construction equipment marketplace by structuring and managing a inventory financing program for Kobelco’s 75 US dealers, as well as a retail financing and leasing program for their end user customers.

Again at Deutsche Credit, John provided Viking Yacht Company with a comprehensive financing structure which included working capital for the manufacture of Viking product, but also an inventory financing program for Viking’s 15 dealers in the US and Europe.

At GE Capital, John established financing arrangements for over 40 companies in 2 years.

John studied at Augustana College and the University of Iowa, and holds a BA degree in Business Administration.

Mr. Van Wagner is a specialist in trucking management and logistics analysis. Dennis has over 40 years experience in executive management with direct hands-on experience in rail, local, regional and over-the-road trucking and the international and domestic intermodal sectors. He was a founder of Roadlink USA, currently the largest privately held intermodal trucking company in the nation, President and CEO of Roadlink USA Pacific and was the Founder, President and CEO of Hawk Pacific Corporation, built from the ground up to become one of the largest intermodal trucking and logistics companies on the west coast. The company also became the west coast platform company for Roadlink USA, Roadlink Transportation and Roadlink Warehouse Solutions. He also worked for the Western Pacific Railroad Co. as President of their wholly owned trucking subsidiaries, Western Pacific Transport Co. and WPX Freight System.

Mr. Prelipp has over thirty eight years of experience in the trucking industry. The first twenty seven years were as an executive for companies that include Schneider National, Heartland Express and Landstar.

This executive experience includes leading Operations and Inside Sales for Schneider National and being President of two truckload carriers

Since 1998 he has been consulting in the transportation industry. The consulting work has included:

• Developing and implementing Operations Best Practices
• Developing and implementing Sales Best Practices
• Leading company sales planning meetings
• Executive coaching
• Implementing driver retention Best Practices
• Assessing and training workplace communications
• Recruiting Best Practices audits and process improvements
• Driver retention Best Practices audits and process improvements
• Business Strategy Workshops
• Management Skills Training Programs
• Sales skills training

Strategic Solutions Partners, LLC has affiliation agreements with the following independent contractors. These professionals are available to support our Partners and Principals in the efficient completion of our engagements.  We have personal experience with each of these associates and know them to produce work product of the highest caliber.  Our commitment and performance guarantee applies to all contributing associates while engaged under the direction of Strategic Solutions Partners.

APB Global Resources, Inc. - Executive Search Consultants
Rich Green - Consultant - Public Transportation.
Rick Hill - Rick Hill Associates - Maritime and Intermodal
Jill Ivie - Ivie Communications - Marketing Communications
Peter Kuhlman - P/K Advertising - Advertising and Promotion
Geoff Davis – Scripps Institute - Process and Technology Integration
Bob Rosevear - Consultant - Marketing and Customer Research
The Project Group  - Project Management Training Specialists
R&G Associates - Government Agency Specialists